Dec Girls, AUG is our month!

Hi girls, it's already Aug, can you believe it? It's been so cool here I don't leave the house without some sort of jacket on--feels more like Sept already....So we're back from our weekend getaway. It was great! We went to Leipzig and Dresden. It was the first time I'd been in East Germany (Berlin doesn't really count here). All the buildings, including housing used to be a depressing gray/brown. All of them! The Beag was a great little traveller, even though she's not used to touring citites. We even went to a bison farm and got brats, hamburgers, a roast and 4 steaks, and jerky(!). I won't post how much we paid for it, though! Lol ;-). Steffi even taught me how to knit, and knit me the tiniest pair of yellow and white booties for Baby S! So cute! My internet connection where we stayed was incredibly slow, so I didn't post. Better get ready for work, to be continued...

Hi girls, it's already Aug, can you believe it? It's been so cool here I don't leave the house without some sort of jacket on--feels more like Sept already....So we're back from our weekend getaway. It was great! We went to Leipzig and Dresden. It was the first time I'd been in East Germany (Berlin doesn't really count here). All the buildings, including housing used to be a depressing gray/brown. All of them! The Beag was a great little traveller, even though she's not used to touring citites. We even went to a bison farm and got brats, hamburgers, a roast and 4 steaks, and jerky(!). I won't post how much we paid for it, though! Lol ;-). Steffi even taught me how to knit, and knit me the tiniest pair of yellow and white booties for Baby S! So cute! My internet connection where we stayed was incredibly slow, so I didn't post. Better get ready for work, to be continued...

Shelley, does
everyone have an in-law that is difficult? At least it makes me feel better
that you and the other girls have all mentioned something about them, heehee.

Iâ€™m so glad your HSG went OK! And that it was
bearable, too. Yay for open tubes and a normal shaped uterus! Does it even
matter if itâ€™s a little more off to one side? Has your Dr. looked at everything
and talked to you about it?

I think if I knew everything was OK with me, and DH
just had lower sperm count like your DH, Iâ€™d feel much better. Not bec the
problem was on his side, just bec Iâ€™d know that weâ€™re both healthy and it could
take a little longer, but itâ€™s totally possible to naturally conceive. It definitely
changes your perspective and would make me, personally, a little more patient. Iâ€™m
assuming, lol. Itâ€™s definitely doable! This even means you donâ€™t need to BD
every day, EOD or every 3rd day is better for him to build up his
troopsâ€”so less stress! EOD was great for us, we never would have loved ED for a
whole week.

Marisa, are your
OPKs negative by now? Iâ€™m sure you got enough BDing in! Youâ€™re so funny about
scheduling BDing! EOD, but not 48 hrs, itâ€™s better at 36, lol. But you gotta do
what you gotta do, right?

What a great 2 mile walk/run! 60% running is great! Keep
it upâ€”believe me, youâ€™ll be thankful for every muscle thatâ€™s toned and every
pound lost once youâ€™re PG!

I canâ€™t believe the crazy weather everyoneâ€™s been
having in the US. My aunt and uncle didnâ€™t have power for 3 weeks, can you
imagine? They live in the woods, even their water pump is electric, so they
didnâ€™t even have running water. My dad brought a generator up for them to help
out a little. Just crazy! And my mom has been fighting water in the basement
all summer. She said she wouldnâ€™t know what sheâ€™d do without her wet/dry vac
and her dehumidifier.

Iâ€™ll have to stalk your FB pics of the havoc.

What luck to get that breast pump! Those things are so
expensive, and the one you got is a really good one!

Christine, sorry
about another disappointment this month, it really sucks. Wellâ€¦on to the next
one, right? But this is kind of getting old! I hope youâ€™re coping OK, sweetie.
And a puppy and a new house are both great distracters!

Iâ€™m so excited for you about your house! This is a big
step, but a wonderful one! Have you already started any renovations that may
need to be done (at least cleaning and painting the new place)? Have your boxes
and are you packing already? I feel sooo impatient for when we get to buy a
house about 3 yrs from now =(. But Iâ€™ve mentioned that every time, right?
(Sorry! Just so exciting!)

And then the puppies! So jealous! Did you see them
this weekend? Pick one out? Fall in love? Do you want a girl or a boy? Weâ€™ve
always had girl dogs =). So will you be getting one soon, or still in the fall
(which, BTW, is only a month away!). How old were the little pups? DH says Iâ€™ll
have to wait until we have our own house before we get a second dog. Which I
can understand, but it doesnâ€™t make it any easier. Are you going to a â€œrealâ€
breeder, where you can get Pedigree papers, or just a private breeder?

I just looked on the American Kennel Club site, and
hereâ€™s a small piece of what they say about Samoyeds:

Right Breed for You?
Intelligent, gentle and loyal, Samoyeds enjoy being with their families. Due to
their working heritage, they may chase things, run and bark, so itâ€™s best to
channel that energy into some kind of job or activity. Otherwise, these
independent thinkers may invent ways to keep themselves entertained. At the
very least, daily exercise is necessary. The Samoyed coat can also mat and
needs to be brushed weekly, more often during shedding season.

Looks
like youâ€™ll have a lot of work with that breed! Their personality kind of
sounds like a Beagle, lol. Iâ€™m sure a dog like that would love agility training
or something to get that energy out and satisfy their intelligence.

Even, nice to
hear from you again. So what do you want to go to school for this time around? Cooking,
like the class youâ€™re taking? I know youâ€™ve studied before (Humanities or
something, right?). Did you get a degree last time, or take a break? Starting a
project like that is always fun, but I never like the stress that comes along
with it. And all the endurance to manage it for so many years.

Howâ€™s the spotting? So strange to spot all the time, I
hope everythingâ€™s OK. Let us know what your Dr. says!

--------------------------

So I only worked a few hours on Wed, then DH the Beag
and I drove 5 Â½ hrs to East Germany. We stayed with some friends, and saw
Leipzig and Dresden regions. Their dog died recently, so they were all over
Caribou, who loved all the attention. And Steffi even taught me how to knit and
made Baby S. little booties. She even promised me one of those sacks they can
wear, with a slit in it for the seat belt in the car seat so she can wear it in
the car (perfect for a December baby!).

It was nice to get away, and I even did really well
trekking through the cities and even hiking. I was afraid Iâ€™d be the one
slowing everyone down.

Now I only have 3 complete months of work, or 12
weeks. I still canâ€™t believe it. Some girls at my work have talked me into
measuring my tummy every week and making a chart of it in Excel. Well, 21 weeks
and 103 cm. Seems like a lot! I wonder what I had pre-PGâ€¦ Maybe itâ€™s better not
to know, lol.

For August, DH and I are going to research and buy a
stroller/car seat set, a new washer and dryer, a bassinette and changing table
and a new freezer for the basement. And I want to look into that PG-swimming
course at the hospital Iâ€™d like to have my baby in. Then I can get to know the
midwives, who run the swimming course. And in â€œearly Augustâ€ Iâ€™ll know if I get
accepted into the school I really want to go to. First class is Oct. 4. I
figure I wonâ€™t miss much when the baby is born bec of Christmas break. But I
still donâ€™t think Iâ€™ll be able to do all 6 hrs of classes 2 nights a week right
after birth. My bbs would explode, I think! Weâ€™ll see. If it doesnâ€™t work out
there, I still have the Academy.

Well Iâ€™d better get going! My goal for the week: buy
new black shoes! Iâ€™ll go to the next biggest town after work and see what I can
find.

--SaraÂ =)

Shelley, does
everyone have an in-law that is difficult? At least it makes me feel better
that you and the other girls have all mentioned something about them, heehee.

Iâ€™m so glad your HSG went OK! And that it was
bearable, too. Yay for open tubes and a normal shaped uterus! Does it even
matter if itâ€™s a little more off to one side? Has your Dr. looked at everything
and talked to you about it?

I think if I knew everything was OK with me, and DH
just had lower sperm count like your DH, Iâ€™d feel much better. Not bec the
problem was on his side, just bec Iâ€™d know that weâ€™re both healthy and it could
take a little longer, but itâ€™s totally possible to naturally conceive. It definitely
changes your perspective and would make me, personally, a little more patient. Iâ€™m
assuming, lol. Itâ€™s definitely doable! This even means you donâ€™t need to BD
every day, EOD or every 3rd day is better for him to build up his
troopsâ€”so less stress! EOD was great for us, we never would have loved ED for a
whole week.

Marisa, are your
OPKs negative by now? Iâ€™m sure you got enough BDing in! Youâ€™re so funny about
scheduling BDing! EOD, but not 48 hrs, itâ€™s better at 36, lol. But you gotta do
what you gotta do, right?

What a great 2 mile walk/run! 60% running is great! Keep
it upâ€”believe me, youâ€™ll be thankful for every muscle thatâ€™s toned and every
pound lost once youâ€™re PG!

I canâ€™t believe the crazy weather everyoneâ€™s been
having in the US. My aunt and uncle didnâ€™t have power for 3 weeks, can you
imagine? They live in the woods, even their water pump is electric, so they
didnâ€™t even have running water. My dad brought a generator up for them to help
out a little. Just crazy! And my mom has been fighting water in the basement
all summer. She said she wouldnâ€™t know what sheâ€™d do without her wet/dry vac
and her dehumidifier.

Iâ€™ll have to stalk your FB pics of the havoc.

What luck to get that breast pump! Those things are so
expensive, and the one you got is a really good one!

Christine, sorry
about another disappointment this month, it really sucks. Wellâ€¦on to the next
one, right? But this is kind of getting old! I hope youâ€™re coping OK, sweetie.
And a puppy and a new house are both great distracters!

Iâ€™m so excited for you about your house! This is a big
step, but a wonderful one! Have you already started any renovations that may
need to be done (at least cleaning and painting the new place)? Have your boxes
and are you packing already? I feel sooo impatient for when we get to buy a
house about 3 yrs from now =(. But Iâ€™ve mentioned that every time, right?
(Sorry! Just so exciting!)

And then the puppies! So jealous! Did you see them
this weekend? Pick one out? Fall in love? Do you want a girl or a boy? Weâ€™ve
always had girl dogs =). So will you be getting one soon, or still in the fall
(which, BTW, is only a month away!). How old were the little pups? DH says Iâ€™ll
have to wait until we have our own house before we get a second dog. Which I
can understand, but it doesnâ€™t make it any easier. Are you going to a â€œrealâ€
breeder, where you can get Pedigree papers, or just a private breeder?

I just looked on the American Kennel Club site, and
hereâ€™s a small piece of what they say about Samoyeds:

Right Breed for You?
Intelligent, gentle and loyal, Samoyeds enjoy being with their families. Due to
their working heritage, they may chase things, run and bark, so itâ€™s best to
channel that energy into some kind of job or activity. Otherwise, these
independent thinkers may invent ways to keep themselves entertained. At the
very least, daily exercise is necessary. The Samoyed coat can also mat and
needs to be brushed weekly, more often during shedding season.

Looks
like youâ€™ll have a lot of work with that breed! Their personality kind of
sounds like a Beagle, lol. Iâ€™m sure a dog like that would love agility training
or something to get that energy out and satisfy their intelligence.

Even, nice to
hear from you again. So what do you want to go to school for this time around? Cooking,
like the class youâ€™re taking? I know youâ€™ve studied before (Humanities or
something, right?). Did you get a degree last time, or take a break? Starting a
project like that is always fun, but I never like the stress that comes along
with it. And all the endurance to manage it for so many years.

Howâ€™s the spotting? So strange to spot all the time, I
hope everythingâ€™s OK. Let us know what your Dr. says!

--------------------------

So I only worked a few hours on Wed, then DH the Beag
and I drove 5 Â½ hrs to East Germany. We stayed with some friends, and saw
Leipzig and Dresden regions. Their dog died recently, so they were all over
Caribou, who loved all the attention. And Steffi even taught me how to knit and
made Baby S. little booties. She even promised me one of those sacks they can
wear, with a slit in it for the seat belt in the car seat so she can wear it in
the car (perfect for a December baby!).

It was nice to get away, and I even did really well
trekking through the cities and even hiking. I was afraid Iâ€™d be the one
slowing everyone down.

Now I only have 3 complete months of work, or 12
weeks. I still canâ€™t believe it. Some girls at my work have talked me into
measuring my tummy every week and making a chart of it in Excel. Well, 21 weeks
and 103 cm. Seems like a lot! I wonder what I had pre-PGâ€¦ Maybe itâ€™s better not
to know, lol.

For August, DH and I are going to research and buy a
stroller/car seat set, a new washer and dryer, a bassinette and changing table
and a new freezer for the basement. And I want to look into that PG-swimming
course at the hospital Iâ€™d like to have my baby in. Then I can get to know the
midwives, who run the swimming course. And in â€œearly Augustâ€ Iâ€™ll know if I get
accepted into the school I really want to go to. First class is Oct. 4. I
figure I wonâ€™t miss much when the baby is born bec of Christmas break. But I
still donâ€™t think Iâ€™ll be able to do all 6 hrs of classes 2 nights a week right
after birth. My bbs would explode, I think! Weâ€™ll see. If it doesnâ€™t work out
there, I still have the Academy.

Well Iâ€™d better get going! My goal for the week: buy
new black shoes! Iâ€™ll go to the next biggest town after work and see what I can
find.

Thanks for the new thread... wow, August already! It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday weekend. It's so cool that you get to explore different areas. You have wonderful plans/goals for the month of August. It'll feel so good to have all that accomplished, I'm sure. I love knowing we have the new washer/dryer, dishwasher, and vacuum and I'm not even pregnant yet!

I do feel good having the results of the HSG, and knowing my O was a little more normal this past month. I'd definitely say it would be a relief if everything works out on my end and we're only dealing with a low sperm count. Because, just like you said, that's something I think we can definitely work with, especially since his count isn't insanely low. It definitely makes me feel more patient. I think when you have so many unknowns and you're being unsuccessful month after month, it can really get to you. Just having some answers helps me, because it seems like we SHOULD be able to get pregnant naturally (there are a whole slew of more in depth tests before they could guarantee that, but we're not there yet) and knowing that, I can be patient and give it time. It also helps to think that the cause because my insane cycles was the soy isos... they help so many people, but apparently not me. And not taking them is an easy enough way to keep my cycle relatively on track. I do have to call the doc though, just as a follow up since she didn't do my HSG and make sure there's nothing else we need to do at this time.

Thanks for the new thread... wow, August already! It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday weekend. It's so cool that you get to explore different areas. You have wonderful plans/goals for the month of August. It'll feel so good to have all that accomplished, I'm sure. I love knowing we have the new washer/dryer, dishwasher, and vacuum and I'm not even pregnant yet!

I do feel good having the results of the HSG, and knowing my O was a little more normal this past month. I'd definitely say it would be a relief if everything works out on my end and we're only dealing with a low sperm count. Because, just like you said, that's something I think we can definitely work with, especially since his count isn't insanely low. It definitely makes me feel more patient. I think when you have so many unknowns and you're being unsuccessful month after month, it can really get to you. Just having some answers helps me, because it seems like we SHOULD be able to get pregnant naturally (there are a whole slew of more in depth tests before they could guarantee that, but we're not there yet) and knowing that, I can be patient and give it time. It also helps to think that the cause because my insane cycles was the soy isos... they help so many people, but apparently not me. And not taking them is an easy enough way to keep my cycle relatively on track. I do have to call the doc though, just as a follow up since she didn't do my HSG and make sure there's nothing else we need to do at this time.

Sounds like you guys had a great time, and the Beag too! It's great when you can take the dog with you on vacation. I'd hate to leave him at home. You've got a lot on your shopping list this month! I'm just curious but will you have a baby shower you think? Is that customary in Germany? Only 3 months left of work! Good for you, that's so exctiing! And your baby is the size of a banana this week hehehe, cute!

So I'm still getting pos OPKs, really dark too. and more EWCM today! I felt O pain on CD 14 and 15 and this is CD 18 and I'm still having O symptoms. I did the override on FF and said CD 15 was my O but now I'm not so sure. This is crazy. We BDed on Friday at 6am then on Sunday around 1pm when he got home. We're probably going to BD again tonight since I got so much EWCM today. My cervix is lower but still soft and kinda of open so I'm not really sure what that means. I guess we'll just keep BDing until I get some certain negatives. I took an OPK at 6am this morning and it was slightly lighter than the control so I originally put negative, then went back to sleep and didn't drink anything and took another OPK at 11am and it was a very dark positive. I'm really confused but still determined to get PG this month! We will BD right up until the end of the cycle if we have to! LOL Poor DH! And yes this will be more like 30 hours if we BD when he get home from work, so more than 24 but less than 48 hehehe I'm a math teacher, I like numbers, what can I say?! What do you all think about all the pos OPKs? I posted a thread asking about it and the one response I got was saying that I might have PCOS....hmmm I looked it up online and I guess it's not terribly uncommon to have pos OPKs lasting for up to a week!!

Okay, well I'm off to go get some new sneakers for my little run/walk workouts. My ankles were killing me last week and I haven't gone since. My best friend is going with me and she's an avid runner so she'll know what to help me pick out. My sneaks are like 6 yrs old!

Have a great day ladies and let me know what you think about all these pos OPKs...

Marisa

Sounds like you guys had a great time, and the Beag too! It's great when you can take the dog with you on vacation. I'd hate to leave him at home. You've got a lot on your shopping list this month! I'm just curious but will you have a baby shower you think? Is that customary in Germany? Only 3 months left of work! Good for you, that's so exctiing! And your baby is the size of a banana this week hehehe, cute!

So I'm still getting pos OPKs, really dark too. and more EWCM today! I felt O pain on CD 14 and 15 and this is CD 18 and I'm still having O symptoms. I did the override on FF and said CD 15 was my O but now I'm not so sure. This is crazy. We BDed on Friday at 6am then on Sunday around 1pm when he got home. We're probably going to BD again tonight since I got so much EWCM today. My cervix is lower but still soft and kinda of open so I'm not really sure what that means. I guess we'll just keep BDing until I get some certain negatives. I took an OPK at 6am this morning and it was slightly lighter than the control so I originally put negative, then went back to sleep and didn't drink anything and took another OPK at 11am and it was a very dark positive. I'm really confused but still determined to get PG this month! We will BD right up until the end of the cycle if we have to! LOL Poor DH! And yes this will be more like 30 hours if we BD when he get home from work, so more than 24 but less than 48 hehehe I'm a math teacher, I like numbers, what can I say?! What do you all think about all the pos OPKs? I posted a thread asking about it and the one response I got was saying that I might have PCOS....hmmm I looked it up online and I guess it's not terribly uncommon to have pos OPKs lasting for up to a week!!

Okay, well I'm off to go get some new sneakers for my little run/walk workouts. My ankles were killing me last week and I haven't gone since. My best friend is going with me and she's an avid runner so she'll know what to help me pick out. My sneaks are like 6 yrs old!

Have a great day ladies and let me know what you think about all these pos OPKs...

Hello Ladies, Yes it is Aug allready but thats fine with me I'm more then done with summer and the freaking heat. I hope that you had a good birthday, Lucky you Sara that its been so nice and cool here lately it's been getting up to 42-50 degrees celcius which is hot enough but when all you have is a window air conditioner it's just worse!! Glad that your little trip sounded nice, my mother has a few Dresdan dolls that were made pre ww(1 or 2) not sure when the factory was shut down anymore. They're very beautiful just too bad not in mint condition anymore after my sister got after them, she apparently used to pull chunks off the skirt as a little child and before my mom noticed she had gotten to every one of them but still collectors items none the less since they are some of the last to have actually been made in Dresdan Germany, or least that's what my mother was told by an insurance appraiser.

Glad that all of your tests seem to have come back good so far and that all it is is a lower sperm count, I can't believe I'm still terrible with everyones name on here. There's alot that can be done for low sperm counts and I really wouldn't worry.

Marissa: Yay for positive opks!! New sneakers can be fun too, I'm one of those women though who dislike shopping in all its forms but I do have to say that I went sneaker shopping earlier this month as well as a bit of clothes shopping. Payless had a shoe sale so I got 8$ off my sneakers and then I went to old navy and they had 70-75% sale going on at the time and I got 2 tank tops one hoodie 2 t-shirts and one dress for less then 40$ after tax so i was quite happy.

I know you didn't mean to Sara but you made me sound so bad that I'm going back to school lol. This course I'm doing was free and honestly not only is it not what I expected or what was laid out in the curiculum but I mainly did it because others wanted me to. It's actually been a bit of a problem I've had in my life doing things to make others happy but my family has never been supportive of anybody and they can be quite cruel if you don't do what they think you should. Yes i did go to school before but no I did not get my degree I had to leave school because of the bad situation with my ex-husband, word of warning to ppl by the way don't get married at 19 to an abusive man. It was in Anthropology/education and I did come close to finishing it. What I'm actually going back to school for is to become an elementry school teacher, when I had first moved back the university here was only going to recognize 2 of my courses where as now they are recognizing more so in 2 1/2 years I'll have not onlu my university degree but also my teachers license assuming I'm accepted into the program and do well in the field. When I had started my Anthro/Edu degree years ago my sister threw such a fit even leaving me death threats on my phone over my choice of a career so back then it was quite easy to give up. Thats one of the special things about DF though is that he has been so patient with me while we've been together and has been trying very hard to help me fix all my broken pieces. He was a bit mad that I hadn't ever said anything about wanting to go back to university and going back to get my teaching but he understood why, in some ways I'm very lucky to have him.

I did go see Harry Potter for my birthday the other week for my birthday and I enjoyed it quite a bit, we went and saw the normal 2d version since DF's glasses and 3d glasses don't mix well. I also got a kitten for my birthday a little male one. Honestly with the dogs and cat we allrdy have I was a bit mad but DF pointed out my cats age and how she doesn't have too many years left and that I've been talking about getting another male cat since my first one died, he was 12yrs old and I had had him since I was 12 when we got him he was such a sick kitten and the vet said 5yrs would be pushing it but the vet was happy to be proved wrong :).

Been a bit of a busy week, I finally found out how the stupid ants were getting in (electrical socket on the outside wall) and then the fridge has started to either freeze everything or keep nothing cold in the actual fridge part and theres tons of water in the bottom. Not looking forward to dealing with the land lady since she never sends a repair person out and we've had to take her to the board more then once to get necessary repairs done. Can't wait till we have more saved up to buy a house here then no more land lady yippe!! BTW congrats ummm Christine on the new house you'll have to show us tons of pictures.

Lets see nothing else I can think of off-hand..oh just something odd I heard was that apparently using canola oil as a lubricant increases the chances of getting pregnant, I had to look that up and found mixed reviews but alot of ppl are swearing by it had to share it here see what reactions you all have.

As for the spotting yes it is very odd and it has never happened for a whole month before but it finally stopped yesterday. I mean I've had spotting for 1-3 days before on either side of AF usually after but this month was just ridiculous. Not much Bding went on either because DF was so worried, I will definately let you all know what the dr says about it I'm just keeping my fingers crossed it's nothing major.

Well all of you have a very good week and I will check back soon *happy dust for everyone* T

Hello Ladies, Yes it is Aug allready but thats fine with me I'm more then done with summer and the freaking heat. I hope that you had a good birthday, Lucky you Sara that its been so nice and cool here lately it's been getting up to 42-50 degrees celcius which is hot enough but when all you have is a window air conditioner it's just worse!! Glad that your little trip sounded nice, my mother has a few Dresdan dolls that were made pre ww(1 or 2) not sure when the factory was shut down anymore. They're very beautiful just too bad not in mint condition anymore after my sister got after them, she apparently used to pull chunks off the skirt as a little child and before my mom noticed she had gotten to every one of them but still collectors items none the less since they are some of the last to have actually been made in Dresdan Germany, or least that's what my mother was told by an insurance appraiser.

Glad that all of your tests seem to have come back good so far and that all it is is a lower sperm count, I can't believe I'm still terrible with everyones name on here. There's alot that can be done for low sperm counts and I really wouldn't worry.

Marissa: Yay for positive opks!! New sneakers can be fun too, I'm one of those women though who dislike shopping in all its forms but I do have to say that I went sneaker shopping earlier this month as well as a bit of clothes shopping. Payless had a shoe sale so I got 8$ off my sneakers and then I went to old navy and they had 70-75% sale going on at the time and I got 2 tank tops one hoodie 2 t-shirts and one dress for less then 40$ after tax so i was quite happy.

I know you didn't mean to Sara but you made me sound so bad that I'm going back to school lol. This course I'm doing was free and honestly not only is it not what I expected or what was laid out in the curiculum but I mainly did it because others wanted me to. It's actually been a bit of a problem I've had in my life doing things to make others happy but my family has never been supportive of anybody and they can be quite cruel if you don't do what they think you should. Yes i did go to school before but no I did not get my degree I had to leave school because of the bad situation with my ex-husband, word of warning to ppl by the way don't get married at 19 to an abusive man. It was in Anthropology/education and I did come close to finishing it. What I'm actually going back to school for is to become an elementry school teacher, when I had first moved back the university here was only going to recognize 2 of my courses where as now they are recognizing more so in 2 1/2 years I'll have not onlu my university degree but also my teachers license assuming I'm accepted into the program and do well in the field. When I had started my Anthro/Edu degree years ago my sister threw such a fit even leaving me death threats on my phone over my choice of a career so back then it was quite easy to give up. Thats one of the special things about DF though is that he has been so patient with me while we've been together and has been trying very hard to help me fix all my broken pieces. He was a bit mad that I hadn't ever said anything about wanting to go back to university and going back to get my teaching but he understood why, in some ways I'm very lucky to have him.

I did go see Harry Potter for my birthday the other week for my birthday and I enjoyed it quite a bit, we went and saw the normal 2d version since DF's glasses and 3d glasses don't mix well. I also got a kitten for my birthday a little male one. Honestly with the dogs and cat we allrdy have I was a bit mad but DF pointed out my cats age and how she doesn't have too many years left and that I've been talking about getting another male cat since my first one died, he was 12yrs old and I had had him since I was 12 when we got him he was such a sick kitten and the vet said 5yrs would be pushing it but the vet was happy to be proved wrong :).

Been a bit of a busy week, I finally found out how the stupid ants were getting in (electrical socket on the outside wall) and then the fridge has started to either freeze everything or keep nothing cold in the actual fridge part and theres tons of water in the bottom. Not looking forward to dealing with the land lady since she never sends a repair person out and we've had to take her to the board more then once to get necessary repairs done. Can't wait till we have more saved up to buy a house here then no more land lady yippe!! BTW congrats ummm Christine on the new house you'll have to show us tons of pictures.

Lets see nothing else I can think of off-hand..oh just something odd I heard was that apparently using canola oil as a lubricant increases the chances of getting pregnant, I had to look that up and found mixed reviews but alot of ppl are swearing by it had to share it here see what reactions you all have.

As for the spotting yes it is very odd and it has never happened for a whole month before but it finally stopped yesterday. I mean I've had spotting for 1-3 days before on either side of AF usually after but this month was just ridiculous. Not much Bding went on either because DF was so worried, I will definately let you all know what the dr says about it I'm just keeping my fingers crossed it's nothing major.

Well all of you have a very good week and I will check back soon *happy dust for everyone* T

Marisa, I think a bunch of +OPKs in a row is pretty common. I think it depends on the brand, the time of day you test, etc. I have actually had positives after I Oed (confirmed by temping) so you may have already Oed, but it's a good idea to BD anyway. Especially if your CM is indicating possible O. I have also heard that you can have EWCM after you O too, so it sounds like it's all normal.

Eventinely, good for you for going back to school! Teaching is wonderful, and getting a chance to do something you really want to do is worth it. I'm glad you have a good DH now who supports you and has helped you put yourself back together. Mine has done the same for me. And going through the bad experiences, if nothing else, can help you appreciate how good it is now. And how exciting to get a kitten! I would LOVE a kitten, but DH is allergic. =( What color? Does he have a name yet?

Marisa, I think a bunch of +OPKs in a row is pretty common. I think it depends on the brand, the time of day you test, etc. I have actually had positives after I Oed (confirmed by temping) so you may have already Oed, but it's a good idea to BD anyway. Especially if your CM is indicating possible O. I have also heard that you can have EWCM after you O too, so it sounds like it's all normal.

Eventinely, good for you for going back to school! Teaching is wonderful, and getting a chance to do something you really want to do is worth it. I'm glad you have a good DH now who supports you and has helped you put yourself back together. Mine has done the same for me. And going through the bad experiences, if nothing else, can help you appreciate how good it is now. And how exciting to get a kitten! I would LOVE a kitten, but DH is allergic. =( What color? Does he have a name yet?

Thanks Shelley! The kitten is a grey mix If I can figure out how to upload a picture of him I will since his coloring is so unique. He has lines and swirls and tribal looking marks in a creamy white all through his grey fur. He's 10-11 weeks old and his name is Neji, both DF and I are big Naruto fans. And it is nice to have a supportive man now, I am looking forward to teaching it's alot of hard work and sometimes really long hours but it's worth it to open up a whole new world to children and see the wonder or horror in their eyes at learning new things lol.

Thanks Shelley! The kitten is a grey mix If I can figure out how to upload a picture of him I will since his coloring is so unique. He has lines and swirls and tribal looking marks in a creamy white all through his grey fur. He's 10-11 weeks old and his name is Neji, both DF and I are big Naruto fans. And it is nice to have a supportive man now, I am looking forward to teaching it's alot of hard work and sometimes really long hours but it's worth it to open up a whole new world to children and see the wonder or horror in their eyes at learning new things lol.

Today is the 6th day of a pos test however this morning I did a different brand test with the same urine sample and it was very clearly negative. So I'm thinking maybe the tests I bought are just really senstive? I dunno...

Wicked cute kitten by the way I looked at your profile pic!!! I'll post more later, I have to go clean out the garage at my old house!

Marisa

Today is the 6th day of a pos test however this morning I did a different brand test with the same urine sample and it was very clearly negative. So I'm thinking maybe the tests I bought are just really senstive? I dunno...

Wicked cute kitten by the way I looked at your profile pic!!! I'll post more later, I have to go clean out the garage at my old house!

GIRLS! I got accepted to my top school!!! Just got the letter! First class is Oct 4!!! I'll have 6 hrs of school every Tues afternoon, and another 6 every Saturday morning for the next 7 semesters. I'm happy, but kind of freaking out that I'm taking the plunge. *yikes!* i'll post more tomorrow. Marisa, sorry I can't help with the OPKs, I've never had one in my hand...

GIRLS! I got accepted to my top school!!! Just got the letter! First class is Oct 4!!! I'll have 6 hrs of school every Tues afternoon, and another 6 every Saturday morning for the next 7 semesters. I'm happy, but kind of freaking out that I'm taking the plunge. *yikes!* i'll post more tomorrow. Marisa, sorry I can't help with the OPKs, I've never had one in my hand...

Congratulations Sara!!! It may sem like alot of work and you may be scared to take the plunge into it but if you don't try you defiantely wont do great which I think we all know you'll do great :). That's soon for your classes, I think it's better then a long wait in between though that way you don't get too anxious and nervous while waiting. I agree you should definately celebrate somehow, perhaps with ice cream and a really indulgent dinner.

Thanks for the compliments on my Kitty girls he really is just adorable though today is he ever trying to push every last one of my buttons great practice for 7-8 months after I finally get my BFP lol.

On that note I've been considering removing a very old semi friend aquaintence from my fb. I think I've mentioned her on here before, she had a baby boy 3 months ago and I had issues since she had had convenience abortions in the past and since she had said while pregnant if it wasnt for them finding out before she would of gone for another one. Well since her little boy (not that cute but still prescious) has been born all she has done is whine and complain about everything every step of the way and I finally had my last straw with her comments a few days ago. She was whining because he was waking her up every other hour and then wouldnt sleep or eat etc and she said again how she wished she'd never had him and that if it was legal to drop him off in the woods she would. Her husband has gotten annoyed at her for her comments made so publicly as well but she just tells him it's none of his damn business because she's the mother and fathers don't get a say in sh*t. What frustrates me more I think are looking at all her friends comments that support her in thinking these awful things. I tried talking with her. I told her it may seem hard but that they're worth it in the end for all the love and joy. She told me I was a fool and that children are horrible and that if I think they're worth ruinning my life for it's a good thing it seems likely I cant have them naturally. I just can't believe that ppl like her get to have children so easily and her comments are going to come back and bite her in the end. Thing is it isn't post pardum depression or anything she had never wanted kids as far back as I can remember about her, which is far we became best of friends the first day of high school. I really feel sorry for her husband and son.

Personal note I have been completely lazy this week, I mean most weeks I have a day where I'm semi lazy but this whole week I haven't wanted to do a thing so I haven't lol! I just go to my course in the am and then come home and play computer games or watch tv which every once and awhile is fine :). I have done dishes though and made dinner, think this weekend I'll have to get back to it though since looks like pretty soon we'll have dust bunnies. *happy dust for everyone* or lazy dust take your pick.... :)

Congratulations Sara!!! It may sem like alot of work and you may be scared to take the plunge into it but if you don't try you defiantely wont do great which I think we all know you'll do great :). That's soon for your classes, I think it's better then a long wait in between though that way you don't get too anxious and nervous while waiting. I agree you should definately celebrate somehow, perhaps with ice cream and a really indulgent dinner.

Thanks for the compliments on my Kitty girls he really is just adorable though today is he ever trying to push every last one of my buttons great practice for 7-8 months after I finally get my BFP lol.

On that note I've been considering removing a very old semi friend aquaintence from my fb. I think I've mentioned her on here before, she had a baby boy 3 months ago and I had issues since she had had convenience abortions in the past and since she had said while pregnant if it wasnt for them finding out before she would of gone for another one. Well since her little boy (not that cute but still prescious) has been born all she has done is whine and complain about everything every step of the way and I finally had my last straw with her comments a few days ago. She was whining because he was waking her up every other hour and then wouldnt sleep or eat etc and she said again how she wished she'd never had him and that if it was legal to drop him off in the woods she would. Her husband has gotten annoyed at her for her comments made so publicly as well but she just tells him it's none of his damn business because she's the mother and fathers don't get a say in sh*t. What frustrates me more I think are looking at all her friends comments that support her in thinking these awful things. I tried talking with her. I told her it may seem hard but that they're worth it in the end for all the love and joy. She told me I was a fool and that children are horrible and that if I think they're worth ruinning my life for it's a good thing it seems likely I cant have them naturally. I just can't believe that ppl like her get to have children so easily and her comments are going to come back and bite her in the end. Thing is it isn't post pardum depression or anything she had never wanted kids as far back as I can remember about her, which is far we became best of friends the first day of high school. I really feel sorry for her husband and son.

Personal note I have been completely lazy this week, I mean most weeks I have a day where I'm semi lazy but this whole week I haven't wanted to do a thing so I haven't lol! I just go to my course in the am and then come home and play computer games or watch tv which every once and awhile is fine :). I have done dishes though and made dinner, think this weekend I'll have to get back to it though since looks like pretty soon we'll have dust bunnies. *happy dust for everyone* or lazy dust take your pick.... :)

Shelley, Iâ€™m glad
you feel confident in TTC after a few tests. Of all the hurdles that could be
thrown at you, this is a pretty good one =)

What does the soy isos do? Like its advantages, etc. Iâ€™m
not up-to-date on all that herbal stuff. But every personâ€™s body reacts
differently to things, it really could be a different reaction for you.

You mentioned your DH is allergic to cats. When I was
little, I was CRAZY about cats, I wanted one more than anything. My dad is
deathly allergic to all â€œlickingâ€ animals (rabbits, cats, rats, mice, â€¦), so it
was out of the question for us. Then one day, I had an epiphanyâ€”I finally had a
solution to my cat dilemma! So I asked my mom if I could have a cat when Dad
dies. She needed a moment to answer, but just said, â€œYes, Honey, you can.â€ I
was soooo happy! Lol, what crazy things little kids say! My dad is still alive,
Iâ€™ve moved to a different country, and neither of us has a cat, heehee.

Marisa, Germans
donâ€™t know what a baby shower is. People usually give a gift or 2 after birth,
but itâ€™s also not as generous as what Americans typically do. And Germans sell
their old baby things, too. Even between friends or siblings! It would be so
weird for me to ask for 300 â‚¬ for my used stroller or something (even though
that will cost us about 1200 â‚¬!!!!).

I know that OPKs donâ€™t actually tell you when or if
you O, they only show you the surge that comes directly before Oing. Maybe your
surge is big or long? Maybe the sticks are just really sensitiveâ€¦ I know thereâ€™s
a difference between using FMU and testing later in the day, but that you
should just go by the directions for each brand. Even when my temp showed that
I had Oâ€™ed a whole week ago, DH and I still tried to BD EOD throughout my
cycle, just in case. So I guess if youâ€™re not sure, keep at it ;-)

So did you get new running shoes? I hope they help
your poor ankles!

Even, 50Â°C is
WAY too hot! At least you have an A/C, even if itâ€™s just a window one. Thereâ€™s
usually a 2-3 week phase here where it gets so hot and doesnâ€™t cool down at
night, that we have 30Â° in our apartment. Yuck. No A/C. Double yuck. Like I
said before, Germany doesnâ€™t really have much A/C, and the Germans generally
find it â€œunhealthyâ€. My boss sits there in his sauna-for-an-office, in a long
sleeved shirt! He refuses to have an A/C installed. Man am I happy I inherited
a brand new office (new everything, great view of trees, all to myself, my own
A/C and huge: about 4x5 metersâ€”I have 5 windows!).

Iâ€™m sorry youâ€™re not thrilled about the course youâ€™re
taking. Thatâ€™s always a disappointment. Itâ€™ll be so exciting to go back to
school to become a teacher! We have quite a few teachers in our little group
here =).

As to your family, Iâ€™m sorry theyâ€™re not supportive. Everyone
can use a little support here and there, and if not from family, where then? Makes
it hard. I donâ€™t want to sound rude, but itâ€™s really none of your sisterâ€™s
business what you study, it doesnâ€™t affect her in any way. I canâ€™t believe sheâ€™d
make death threats at all, much less to her own sister, and even less about
your choice in a career. Sheesh. Maybe she needs a hobby. Anyway, Iâ€™m glad that
you have a great, supportive DF now. Having a great guy in your life can work
wonders, canâ€™t it?

Why is everyone but me getting a new pet??? Yay for
kittens! Will he be a house cat or will you let him out? My compromise to
waiting on getting a 2nd dog was getting a rat. I had 2 growing up
and loved them, but DH thinks theyâ€™re disgusting. *sigh* Itâ€™s great to get a
cat now, before your other one gets too old. My greatest fear is that our Beag
will die before we have a new dog. It would be horrible to have such an empty
house! The people we visited in Leipzig had to put their German Shepard to
sleep about a year ago. Caribou was the first dog to come into their house
again. They loved having her there, Uli even took her on her morning walk,
where they walked to the Baker and got fresh bread for breakfast every morning.
Caribou loved the attention, of course! I think we might get a call soon that
theyâ€™ve gotten a puppy ;-)

Iâ€™m glad that spotting stopped! Itâ€™ll be interesting
to hear what your Dr. has to say about that.

As to posting pics, you have to have them online in
order to post in a thread, as far as I know. I opened an account with
Photobucket. Itâ€™s free and incredibly easy to use. You just copy the URL and
paste it in your post, thatâ€™s it!

About your FB friend, I say defriend her! It must make
it even harder during TTC to read posts from a girl that doesnâ€™t even like her
son and doesnâ€™t know how lucky she is. You wonâ€™t miss her! I do feel bad for
her little boy, thoughâ€¦

------------------------------

Thanks for the congrats for being accepted to study! Yeah!
You can only study full time at a University (the top school in Germany), and
the Fachhochschule (FH) comes right after University on the list. And you can
study part time and work full time at the FH, which is what Iâ€™m going to do. Itâ€™s
even free! Gotta love the German benefits! I think Iâ€™ll be able to do it pretty
well (canâ€™t say easily, lol) while Iâ€™m off next year. Thatâ€™ll be 2 Â½ semesters
out of 7 where I wonâ€™t be working. Definitely doable, even with a baby. After
that, when I go back to work, Iâ€™ll probably just go back part time. Iâ€™m
thinking 50-80%, depending on my school workload and the little rugrat at home
;-). And then weâ€™ll see when I get my degree (BA in Business Administration) if
I go back full time or switch to a different company or get promoted or
whatever else.

We already know that when I go back to work in 2013,
we can start TTC #2 after Iâ€™ve been at work for 4 months. This way, Iâ€™ll get
that 67% of my net salary for a year again. They average out your income from
the last 12 months for this benefit, so if you didnâ€™t earn anything for 6 of
those months (because you were still on leave with your first child, for
example), you wonâ€™t get much money during your parenting time. 4 months work
plus 9 months of PG is 13 months, so Iâ€™d have at least the 12 months I need. But
who knows how long weâ€™ll need for #2? We all know it can take a while, lol. But
first I have to make sure this LO is healthy and that Iâ€™m a good mom before I
start thinking about #2, right?

Yesterday we looked at washers and dryers. Today weâ€™re
going to a small hole-in-the-wall, family run store in our town. They only sell
appliances. If they have or can order what we want, weâ€™ll buy there to support
the family business. I hope we can get the freezer for the basement there, too.

So you all know my list of things to do/buy this
month? Well I really gotta get that done this month, next month latest! it
wouldnâ€™t make sense to procrastinate and have to do it when Iâ€™m a waddling 9
month PG woman, who is also studying! Iâ€™ll be glad when we order the
washer/dryer/freezer. Then our next project: strollers! So much to do, so
little time!

Did I say that we bought a lot of baby things when we
were in the US in May/June? Well I did inventory 2 days ago and thereâ€™s really
not much in that box. I realized we donâ€™t have any socks! And really nothing
warm for winter. Yep, must start looking at baby things.

I also want to buy those glass baby bottles from Life
Factory. Check out their website, youâ€™ll fall in love: www.lifefactory.com. Iâ€™ll definitely have
to pump (at least for when Iâ€™m in school for 6 hrs at a time), and I just love
their bottles! I have the 22 oz. water bottle and LOVE it! I checked out the FHâ€™s
site (my school) and they even have a breast feeding/pumping room on campus. I
doubt Iâ€™ll be able to go 6 hrs without pumping, so Iâ€™m thankful they have a
room designated for that purpose. DH will do home office every Tues afternoon
while Iâ€™m in school. Theyâ€™re pretty expensive though. How many bottles will I
need if I plan on freezing the milk right in them (theyâ€™re glass, but still
freezer safe)? I was thinking 10, but have no idea reallyâ€¦

Well better get back to workâ€¦only 11 more weeks!

--SaraÂ Â =)

Hi girls!

Shelley, Iâ€™m glad
you feel confident in TTC after a few tests. Of all the hurdles that could be
thrown at you, this is a pretty good one =)

What does the soy isos do? Like its advantages, etc. Iâ€™m
not up-to-date on all that herbal stuff. But every personâ€™s body reacts
differently to things, it really could be a different reaction for you.

You mentioned your DH is allergic to cats. When I was
little, I was CRAZY about cats, I wanted one more than anything. My dad is
deathly allergic to all â€œlickingâ€ animals (rabbits, cats, rats, mice, â€¦), so it
was out of the question for us. Then one day, I had an epiphanyâ€”I finally had a
solution to my cat dilemma! So I asked my mom if I could have a cat when Dad
dies. She needed a moment to answer, but just said, â€œYes, Honey, you can.â€ I
was soooo happy! Lol, what crazy things little kids say! My dad is still alive,
Iâ€™ve moved to a different country, and neither of us has a cat, heehee.

Marisa, Germans
donâ€™t know what a baby shower is. People usually give a gift or 2 after birth,
but itâ€™s also not as generous as what Americans typically do. And Germans sell
their old baby things, too. Even between friends or siblings! It would be so
weird for me to ask for 300 â‚¬ for my used stroller or something (even though
that will cost us about 1200 â‚¬!!!!).

I know that OPKs donâ€™t actually tell you when or if
you O, they only show you the surge that comes directly before Oing. Maybe your
surge is big or long? Maybe the sticks are just really sensitiveâ€¦ I know thereâ€™s
a difference between using FMU and testing later in the day, but that you
should just go by the directions for each brand. Even when my temp showed that
I had Oâ€™ed a whole week ago, DH and I still tried to BD EOD throughout my
cycle, just in case. So I guess if youâ€™re not sure, keep at it ;-)

So did you get new running shoes? I hope they help
your poor ankles!

Even, 50Â°C is
WAY too hot! At least you have an A/C, even if itâ€™s just a window one. Thereâ€™s
usually a 2-3 week phase here where it gets so hot and doesnâ€™t cool down at
night, that we have 30Â° in our apartment. Yuck. No A/C. Double yuck. Like I
said before, Germany doesnâ€™t really have much A/C, and the Germans generally
find it â€œunhealthyâ€. My boss sits there in his sauna-for-an-office, in a long
sleeved shirt! He refuses to have an A/C installed. Man am I happy I inherited
a brand new office (new everything, great view of trees, all to myself, my own
A/C and huge: about 4x5 metersâ€”I have 5 windows!).

Iâ€™m sorry youâ€™re not thrilled about the course youâ€™re
taking. Thatâ€™s always a disappointment. Itâ€™ll be so exciting to go back to
school to become a teacher! We have quite a few teachers in our little group
here =).

As to your family, Iâ€™m sorry theyâ€™re not supportive. Everyone
can use a little support here and there, and if not from family, where then? Makes
it hard. I donâ€™t want to sound rude, but itâ€™s really none of your sisterâ€™s
business what you study, it doesnâ€™t affect her in any way. I canâ€™t believe sheâ€™d
make death threats at all, much less to her own sister, and even less about
your choice in a career. Sheesh. Maybe she needs a hobby. Anyway, Iâ€™m glad that
you have a great, supportive DF now. Having a great guy in your life can work
wonders, canâ€™t it?

Why is everyone but me getting a new pet??? Yay for
kittens! Will he be a house cat or will you let him out? My compromise to
waiting on getting a 2nd dog was getting a rat. I had 2 growing up
and loved them, but DH thinks theyâ€™re disgusting. *sigh* Itâ€™s great to get a
cat now, before your other one gets too old. My greatest fear is that our Beag
will die before we have a new dog. It would be horrible to have such an empty
house! The people we visited in Leipzig had to put their German Shepard to
sleep about a year ago. Caribou was the first dog to come into their house
again. They loved having her there, Uli even took her on her morning walk,
where they walked to the Baker and got fresh bread for breakfast every morning.
Caribou loved the attention, of course! I think we might get a call soon that
theyâ€™ve gotten a puppy ;-)

Iâ€™m glad that spotting stopped! Itâ€™ll be interesting
to hear what your Dr. has to say about that.

As to posting pics, you have to have them online in
order to post in a thread, as far as I know. I opened an account with
Photobucket. Itâ€™s free and incredibly easy to use. You just copy the URL and
paste it in your post, thatâ€™s it!

About your FB friend, I say defriend her! It must make
it even harder during TTC to read posts from a girl that doesnâ€™t even like her
son and doesnâ€™t know how lucky she is. You wonâ€™t miss her! I do feel bad for
her little boy, thoughâ€¦

------------------------------

Thanks for the congrats for being accepted to study! Yeah!
You can only study full time at a University (the top school in Germany), and
the Fachhochschule (FH) comes right after University on the list. And you can
study part time and work full time at the FH, which is what Iâ€™m going to do. Itâ€™s
even free! Gotta love the German benefits! I think Iâ€™ll be able to do it pretty
well (canâ€™t say easily, lol) while Iâ€™m off next year. Thatâ€™ll be 2 Â½ semesters
out of 7 where I wonâ€™t be working. Definitely doable, even with a baby. After
that, when I go back to work, Iâ€™ll probably just go back part time. Iâ€™m
thinking 50-80%, depending on my school workload and the little rugrat at home
;-). And then weâ€™ll see when I get my degree (BA in Business Administration) if
I go back full time or switch to a different company or get promoted or
whatever else.

We already know that when I go back to work in 2013,
we can start TTC #2 after Iâ€™ve been at work for 4 months. This way, Iâ€™ll get
that 67% of my net salary for a year again. They average out your income from
the last 12 months for this benefit, so if you didnâ€™t earn anything for 6 of
those months (because you were still on leave with your first child, for
example), you wonâ€™t get much money during your parenting time. 4 months work
plus 9 months of PG is 13 months, so Iâ€™d have at least the 12 months I need. But
who knows how long weâ€™ll need for #2? We all know it can take a while, lol. But
first I have to make sure this LO is healthy and that Iâ€™m a good mom before I
start thinking about #2, right?

Yesterday we looked at washers and dryers. Today weâ€™re
going to a small hole-in-the-wall, family run store in our town. They only sell
appliances. If they have or can order what we want, weâ€™ll buy there to support
the family business. I hope we can get the freezer for the basement there, too.

So you all know my list of things to do/buy this
month? Well I really gotta get that done this month, next month latest! it
wouldnâ€™t make sense to procrastinate and have to do it when Iâ€™m a waddling 9
month PG woman, who is also studying! Iâ€™ll be glad when we order the
washer/dryer/freezer. Then our next project: strollers! So much to do, so
little time!

Did I say that we bought a lot of baby things when we
were in the US in May/June? Well I did inventory 2 days ago and thereâ€™s really
not much in that box. I realized we donâ€™t have any socks! And really nothing
warm for winter. Yep, must start looking at baby things.

I also want to buy those glass baby bottles from Life
Factory. Check out their website, youâ€™ll fall in love: www.lifefactory.com. Iâ€™ll definitely have
to pump (at least for when Iâ€™m in school for 6 hrs at a time), and I just love
their bottles! I have the 22 oz. water bottle and LOVE it! I checked out the FHâ€™s
site (my school) and they even have a breast feeding/pumping room on campus. I
doubt Iâ€™ll be able to go 6 hrs without pumping, so Iâ€™m thankful they have a
room designated for that purpose. DH will do home office every Tues afternoon
while Iâ€™m in school. Theyâ€™re pretty expensive though. How many bottles will I
need if I plan on freezing the milk right in them (theyâ€™re glass, but still
freezer safe)? I was thinking 10, but have no idea reallyâ€¦

The soy isos are supposed to help you ovulate if you don't on your own, or help move your ovulation up in your cycle if it's late... which is why I tried it. I was Oing in the late 20s of my cycle. It basically tricks your body into producing more estrogen, so you have a stronger O. I guess it works really well for a lot of people, moving O up or helping them if they don't O on their own. And it's just soy, which is naturally found in food anyway. But for some people (like me) your body then produces so much estrogen that it actually delays O until your body balances out.

Your cat story made me laugh! I would rather have DH than a kitten, so I guess it all works out. But I am not getting a new pet either, so we can live vicariously through the others.

The soy isos are supposed to help you ovulate if you don't on your own, or help move your ovulation up in your cycle if it's late... which is why I tried it. I was Oing in the late 20s of my cycle. It basically tricks your body into producing more estrogen, so you have a stronger O. I guess it works really well for a lot of people, moving O up or helping them if they don't O on their own. And it's just soy, which is naturally found in food anyway. But for some people (like me) your body then produces so much estrogen that it actually delays O until your body balances out.

Your cat story made me laugh! I would rather have DH than a kitten, so I guess it all works out. But I am not getting a new pet either, so we can live vicariously through the others.

Aha, so you've been doping on hormones! No, just kidding ;-)............. So I had my progress & development review with my boss today. I told him how I felt about his reaction to my PG (like I was being judged, that I won't be a good employee anymore, etc). I just don't work in a family-friendly place. More like anti-family...and we produce children's products, go figure. Maybe around Aug/Sept next year I'll look for a different job. If I don't find anything, I can work at my current job until I do, so it shouldn't be a stressful transition. We'll see how things develop. Maybe another company wouldn't want to hire a mom coming right out pf her maternity leave, only wants to work part-time and is studying...hmmm... .......On another note, we've decided on our appliances. We're buying from Miele, the top brand in Germany. They're even still made in Germany, which we'd like to support. There's some sort of special or sale coming up in 2 weeks, so we'll have to wait for that to save a little money............my cousin is PG! Posted on FB on Wed, she's 5 weeks. EDD April 1. Wow, it goes to show how everyone's different in choosing when to spill the beans. I'm happy for them, they're a cute, young married couple with an adorable little girl (9 months old?).........today I worked 12 hrs (officially illeagal in Germany for a PG woman) bec of inventory. It's the first year we're doing it with scanners, and I'm in charge of making things work. Pretty tired, we're going to bed after I post this (it's only 9:30). Then tomorrow we're going to a dog fair. You can buy things pretty cheap there (we like to stock up on rawhide flip chips) and they have Pedigree competitions. You can bring your own dog, but I think we'll leave the Beag at home bec it's so crowded there. ........ugh, TGIF! have a nice weekend everyone and good night!

Aha, so you've been doping on hormones! No, just kidding ;-)............. So I had my progress & development review with my boss today. I told him how I felt about his reaction to my PG (like I was being judged, that I won't be a good employee anymore, etc). I just don't work in a family-friendly place. More like anti-family...and we produce children's products, go figure. Maybe around Aug/Sept next year I'll look for a different job. If I don't find anything, I can work at my current job until I do, so it shouldn't be a stressful transition. We'll see how things develop. Maybe another company wouldn't want to hire a mom coming right out pf her maternity leave, only wants to work part-time and is studying...hmmm... .......On another note, we've decided on our appliances. We're buying from Miele, the top brand in Germany. They're even still made in Germany, which we'd like to support. There's some sort of special or sale coming up in 2 weeks, so we'll have to wait for that to save a little money............my cousin is PG! Posted on FB on Wed, she's 5 weeks. EDD April 1. Wow, it goes to show how everyone's different in choosing when to spill the beans. I'm happy for them, they're a cute, young married couple with an adorable little girl (9 months old?).........today I worked 12 hrs (officially illeagal in Germany for a PG woman) bec of inventory. It's the first year we're doing it with scanners, and I'm in charge of making things work. Pretty tired, we're going to bed after I post this (it's only 9:30). Then tomorrow we're going to a dog fair. You can buy things pretty cheap there (we like to stock up on rawhide flip chips) and they have Pedigree competitions. You can bring your own dog, but I think we'll leave the Beag at home bec it's so crowded there. ........ugh, TGIF! have a nice weekend everyone and good night!

What did your boss say when you told him exactly how you felt? Bravo by the way for being so honest, good for you!

My SIL wants to plan a family photo for DH's side. They had one done a long time ago and we've all been talking about doing another one for a couple of years. Well she wants to take it upon herself to set it up which is very sweet but I feel like our baby wont be in th picture and there wont be another one for so long after that our baby will miss out. Is that selfish? We called her today (she knows we are TTC) and asked her to hold off for a few months to see what happens. Baby Vinnie the 5th will be in it and he is the first great-grandchild and I feel like our baby should be too. I really don't want to be selfish and the baby doesn't HAVE to be in the picture but when I get PG I'd at least like my bump to be in the picture so I can say to my child, see you were there too!*SIGH* family drama. My SIL seemed fine with holding off until the winter so that's good. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. My ankle still hurts a bit but I think it's getting better.

Christine how's your new house? Did you get a puppy???

How's everyone else doing?Marisa

What did your boss say when you told him exactly how you felt? Bravo by the way for being so honest, good for you!

My SIL wants to plan a family photo for DH's side. They had one done a long time ago and we've all been talking about doing another one for a couple of years. Well she wants to take it upon herself to set it up which is very sweet but I feel like our baby wont be in th picture and there wont be another one for so long after that our baby will miss out. Is that selfish? We called her today (she knows we are TTC) and asked her to hold off for a few months to see what happens. Baby Vinnie the 5th will be in it and he is the first great-grandchild and I feel like our baby should be too. I really don't want to be selfish and the baby doesn't HAVE to be in the picture but when I get PG I'd at least like my bump to be in the picture so I can say to my child, see you were there too!*SIGH* family drama. My SIL seemed fine with holding off until the winter so that's good. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. My ankle still hurts a bit but I think it's getting better.

That makes sense, Marisa, and I'm glad she was understanding and willing to wait a few months.

I agree- good for you, Sara, for being honest with your company. I hope they will recognize that they didn't handle it well and be better for the next time.

I actually am a little confused- it's CD 15 today, still early for me to O, and my OPK this morning was as negative as it gets (not even a shadow of a second line). But I am having pains similar to O pains, and definite fertile CM. I even had a (TMI) blob of CM in my underwear that was very stretchy- which is really rare for me. I think we'll BD anyway. It's been three days, and we're trying to keep it more spaced out so DH's swimmers can build up, but I think it's a good time. Then we can BD again in a couple days, which will be more likely to be right around O time.

That makes sense, Marisa, and I'm glad she was understanding and willing to wait a few months.

I agree- good for you, Sara, for being honest with your company. I hope they will recognize that they didn't handle it well and be better for the next time.

I actually am a little confused- it's CD 15 today, still early for me to O, and my OPK this morning was as negative as it gets (not even a shadow of a second line). But I am having pains similar to O pains, and definite fertile CM. I even had a (TMI) blob of CM in my underwear that was very stretchy- which is really rare for me. I think we'll BD anyway. It's been three days, and we're trying to keep it more spaced out so DH's swimmers can build up, but I think it's a good time. Then we can BD again in a couple days, which will be more likely to be right around O time.

Shelley- that would be great to have a nice, early O for you. Maybe this month will be it!

Marisa- I can understand why you would want to wait and see if you could add a little bump to the picture. I mean, we've been trying for nine, coming up to ten months. It's gotta be our turn soon right (**hopefully, maybe**)? Holding off a little bit probably won't hurt anyone.

Sara- yay for deciding on new appliances! That's exciting. We were lucky that our house actually came with nice, fairly new appliances so we don't need to get any... well, just a dishwasher. Our house doesn't have one, and I am rather fond of them. I just want to tease you a little here and say you can't be too jealous of us getting new pets here- remember you're the one who is actually adding a little baby to your family so your house will be getting a little fuller too! ;)

I am waiting to hear back about the pup. I think the lady was a little nervous about us not being fully moved in yet, but we will be. Working hard. My hands hurt and it's even a little hard to type.

Even- have the temps settled down again? We were sitting in the 30s for the last few weeks, but they felt about 40s with the humidity. Can't imagine temps in the 50s. I actually love the heat. Bring it on, baby!

Shelley- that would be great to have a nice, early O for you. Maybe this month will be it!

Marisa- I can understand why you would want to wait and see if you could add a little bump to the picture. I mean, we've been trying for nine, coming up to ten months. It's gotta be our turn soon right (**hopefully, maybe**)? Holding off a little bit probably won't hurt anyone.

Sara- yay for deciding on new appliances! That's exciting. We were lucky that our house actually came with nice, fairly new appliances so we don't need to get any... well, just a dishwasher. Our house doesn't have one, and I am rather fond of them. I just want to tease you a little here and say you can't be too jealous of us getting new pets here- remember you're the one who is actually adding a little baby to your family so your house will be getting a little fuller too! ;)

I am waiting to hear back about the pup. I think the lady was a little nervous about us not being fully moved in yet, but we will be. Working hard. My hands hurt and it's even a little hard to type.

Even- have the temps settled down again? We were sitting in the 30s for the last few weeks, but they felt about 40s with the humidity. Can't imagine temps in the 50s. I actually love the heat. Bring it on, baby!

Hey Shelley any pos OPKs yet? Or at least the beginnings of one? How about the rest of your O symptoms? Are they sticking around?

Christine: All moved in? Have you gotten a chance to relax yet? And how about the pup, any updates? Any signs of O yet?

I'm at 10 dpo today and I felt crampy for the last three days and it has calmed down today a little. So OF COURSE I'm reading way too much into that as a symptom. My BBs have been a bit sore too, not terribly sore but just a little, especially when I take my bra off for the night (sports or regular). Well I'll know by the end of this weekend if cycle 10 was the lucky one for us. We're going to see Alice Cooper (where's mommawanna!?!?! she'd love this!!) at Foxwoods casino and staying overnight on Saturday night and if I haven't gotten AF by Sunday morning then I'm testing....at Foxwoods LMAO! Sunday would be CD 31 and 15 dpo so the latest possible day for my period to show up. She usually shows before then so I think it's okay to test Sunday. I'd rather test on a day that DH has off anyways. So please keep your fingers crossed for me this week/weekend ladies! I'm REALLY hoping this is the one for us! I know we weren't really "trying" for a couple of cycles at the beginning but it feels like it's been a long road and I'd love a back to school surprise. And not to mention my maternity leave being completely paid for due to all the sick time I saved up! All the stars have aligned in my little world, I just need a BFP, come on Mother Nature!!!!

Okay enough ranting...gotta go continue the laundry...

Marisa

Hey Shelley any pos OPKs yet? Or at least the beginnings of one? How about the rest of your O symptoms? Are they sticking around?

Christine: All moved in? Have you gotten a chance to relax yet? And how about the pup, any updates? Any signs of O yet?

I'm at 10 dpo today and I felt crampy for the last three days and it has calmed down today a little. So OF COURSE I'm reading way too much into that as a symptom. My BBs have been a bit sore too, not terribly sore but just a little, especially when I take my bra off for the night (sports or regular). Well I'll know by the end of this weekend if cycle 10 was the lucky one for us. We're going to see Alice Cooper (where's mommawanna!?!?! she'd love this!!) at Foxwoods casino and staying overnight on Saturday night and if I haven't gotten AF by Sunday morning then I'm testing....at Foxwoods LMAO! Sunday would be CD 31 and 15 dpo so the latest possible day for my period to show up. She usually shows before then so I think it's okay to test Sunday. I'd rather test on a day that DH has off anyways. So please keep your fingers crossed for me this week/weekend ladies! I'm REALLY hoping this is the one for us! I know we weren't really "trying" for a couple of cycles at the beginning but it feels like it's been a long road and I'd love a back to school surprise. And not to mention my maternity leave being completely paid for due to all the sick time I saved up! All the stars have aligned in my little world, I just need a BFP, come on Mother Nature!!!!

Marisa, so exciting! I am definitely praying for a BFP for you. 10 cycles is long enough! Sounds like you have a fun weekend planned. DH and I were just at Mohegan Sun for a show last Friday.

My OPK this morning showed MAYBE a hint of a second line... so no positive yet. Still not sure exactly how it'll work with this new brand. Will I get a couple days of + like usual, or just one? Or will I miss the surge if I only test in the morning? We'll see! Had wicked cramps yesterday, and still have definite fertile CM. So, we BD today and I am really hoping this will be our lucky cycle. Like you, the timing would work out great. I'd be due beginning of May, I could be off at the end of the year and through the summer, then I'd go back to work in September. I feel like the odds are against me because I know we're fighting the low sperm count, but it could happen, right?

Christine, how's it going? Are you getting settled in to the new place? Any word on the pup? My dog is finally starting to seem like himself again. I was really worried there for a while that he would never be the same again. But he's even playing and fighting with his sister, so that's a good sign.

Sara, how are you? You can feel the little one moving by now, right?

Marisa, so exciting! I am definitely praying for a BFP for you. 10 cycles is long enough! Sounds like you have a fun weekend planned. DH and I were just at Mohegan Sun for a show last Friday.

My OPK this morning showed MAYBE a hint of a second line... so no positive yet. Still not sure exactly how it'll work with this new brand. Will I get a couple days of + like usual, or just one? Or will I miss the surge if I only test in the morning? We'll see! Had wicked cramps yesterday, and still have definite fertile CM. So, we BD today and I am really hoping this will be our lucky cycle. Like you, the timing would work out great. I'd be due beginning of May, I could be off at the end of the year and through the summer, then I'd go back to work in September. I feel like the odds are against me because I know we're fighting the low sperm count, but it could happen, right?

Christine, how's it going? Are you getting settled in to the new place? Any word on the pup? My dog is finally starting to seem like himself again. I was really worried there for a while that he would never be the same again. But he's even playing and fighting with his sister, so that's a good sign.

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